He Told Her He Loved Her
by coffeeshopcynic
Summary: She tried to tell him she loved him when she thought she was dying; he told her he loved her when he thought she was dying. What happens when Kate Beckett wakes up in the hospital after being shot at Montgomery's funeral?
1. Chapter 1

He Told Her He Loved Her

**A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack! I should be working on my novella (its called Fix You and is on Fiction Press under my Fan Fiction name [both of which have been changed from Nikki-RoseC to RosalineC by the way] if you're interested in reading it) but I just can't get Castle and Beckett out of my head. This is going to be a oneshot but who knows; once I start writing it might become more.**

**I don't own Castle; I'm just borrowing the characters because mine don't want to be written right now.**

**~Rose**

Detective Kate Beckett could hear beeping but she didn't know where she was. She didn't know what day it was or why she had an intense feeling of pain in her chest either. The last thing she remembered was Montgomery being shot and Castle trying to comfort her.

She felt something warm and strong grasping her hand. She knew it could have been anyone but somewhere deep inside her she knew it was Castle.

Thinking about Castle it all suddenly came back to her. Montgomery's funeral, her speech, implying she was glad Castle stood by her, then the shot going off and Castle shoving her to the ground and laying over her. She remembered him begging her to stay with him and she had wanted to tell him she would _always_ stay with him. He had looked so heartbroken as her blood seeped up through his fingertips. He begged her to stay some more and told her he loved her.

Kate didn't know what to do about those three little words. She loved him, she did, but Castle was right, she was scared. The last man she had loved was Will and look what he had done to her. The closer she got to someone the more scared she got and the quicker she pulled away. Rick Castle was different. She had actually opened up to him; told him about her mother's murder. She had never been able to do that before. Will knew about her mother but not to the extent Rick did, and neither Tom nor Josh ever found out. Castle was her best friend other than Lanie. He had always been there for her yet every time they got anywhere close to starting a relationship she turned the other way and ran. She didn't know why she did that when they were both clearly in love but her baggage was holding her back.

Castle had baggage of his own. He had two failed marriages and Kate didn't want to become ex wife number three. Castle had never told her why his marriages had failed; just that he thought they were the right thing to do at the time.

There were so many moments that could have been but something always happened. There was the time Kate was going to tell him that she thought they should give a relationship a chance but Castle's ex wife walked in and took him away for the summer. There was the kiss that they both knew was more than just a rouse. There was the freezer where they almost froze to death in each other's arms. There were many moments where they looked at each other for longer than was necessary. It was those moments they both almost said something that would have changed the dynamic of their relationship forever, but they never said it. The closest thing they had to coming to terms with the relationship that never was, was when they argued in Kate's apartment. He had accused her of hiding in relationships with men she didn't love, and she had challenged him to tell her how he really felt about her.

She had been awful to him that night; he didn't deserve that. She had been planning on apologizing after Montgomery's funeral but never got a chance due to the bastard that shot her in the chest.

_Castle. _He was by her side, it had to be him. He was the only one other than her father that loved her completely despite her many flaws. She had to wake up for him. And when she did wake up she had to tell him how she really felt. The night in the freezer and the day she got shot were both so vivid in her memory. She tried to tell him she loved him when she thought she was dying; he told her he loved her when he thought she was dying. No more; she would tell him how much she really loved him before either of them had another near death experience.

**A/N: Okay well apparently this is going to be a two –shot. Drop me a review and let me know what ya thought.**

**~Rose**


	2. Chapter 2

He Told Her He Loved Her

**A/N: Here is the second half of "He Told Her He Loved Her" Enjoy **

**I don't own Castle; I only wish I did.**

**~Rose**

Richard Castle looked down at the woman who was currently fighting for her life on the hospital bed next to him. He loved her more than he could have ever loved Meredith, Gina, or even Kyra. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Not just in appearance but in her heart too. If he lost her he knew a part of himself would die along with her.

She had been in the hospital for almost a week now and hadn't woken up yet. Her heart had stopped twice; once on the way to the hospital and once during surgery. Castle had refused to leave her room once her doctor had allowed her to have visitors. Jim had lied and said Castle was family so he wouldn't have to leave her side after visiting hours were over. Castle needed to be by her side for his own sanity; just to make sure she kept breathing.

She was still pale and frail looking but nothing like she was when she was first brought in. She had looked like she had crossed over to death and then came back to the living then, and it had scared Castle profusely. He wished he had moved quicker; had pushed her out of the way before the bullet hit her.

He loved her so much. He knew he shouldn't have told her that but he couldn't bear losing her without her knowing how he felt about her. Josh was her boyfriend; he should be the one sitting here holding Kate's hand. He should be the one who loved her so much that he would take a bullet for her. But it wasn't Josh here now; it was Castle.

Rick felt his hand being lightly squeezed and he saw Kate's hand twitch slightly. "Kate," he said gently, "Kate, please wake up. I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours."

Her eyelids fluttered but did not fully open. "Please Kate."

Kate Beckett opened her eyes and saw the piercing blue ones that belonged to Richard Castle."Castle," she said weakly.

"Shh Kate. it's okay. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was shot at Montgomery's funeral."

"What else do you remember?" he asked hopefully.

"I remember everything," she admitted.

The two didn't speak for several minutes; Castle just traced circles on the back of Kate's hand with his thumb.

"Did you mean it?" she asked, almost so quietly she was afraid he wouldn't hear her.

"Yes," he replied almost as softly, knowing what she was asking about.

"I'm ready Castle."

"Ready?" he asked.

"I don't feel like pretending anymore Rick."

Castle swallowed a lump in his throat. _Did she mean what he thought she meant? _"Kate," he said again in a whisper.

"We can't do this anymore."

That statement was like a slap in the face for Rick. He got up to leave to give her space now that he knew she was going to be okay; he needed to inform the nurse she was okay anyways.

"Where are you going Castle?" she asked him, looking strangely upset that he was leaving.

"I'm sure your boyfriend will be here soon," Castle said stiffly.

A confused look passed Kate's face but then she came to realization. "Josh and I aren't together anymore."

Castle was shocked. "Since when?" he asked.

"Since we came back from LA," she admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It never came up."

Castle moved closer to Beckett and intertwined his fingers with hers giving them a squeeze. "Why did you break up?"

"I knew I could never love him because I had already given my heart to someone else."

Castle's breath caught in his throat. He moved even closer to her and gently brushed a stray hair off her face with his spare hand.

She took the jump and said what had been on her mind since Castle had been held captive by the 3XK. "I love you Rick; you need to know that."

"Oh God Kate, I have been waiting so long to hear those words. I'm so sorry that it took you getting shot to finally make me say them to you."

"I tried to tell you I love you when I thought I was dying; you told me you love me when you thought I was dying," she said almost under her breath.

"Well I won't wait until one of us almost dies again. I love you Kate. I love you." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "When you get out of here I'm going to kiss you senseless," he promised.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

He kissed her forehead again and then proceeded to gently bring his lips to the back of her hand. "Thank you," he told her.

"For what?" she asked furrowing her brow.

"For loving me like I love you," he said his face so close to hers she could almost lift her head to kiss him.

She did manage to bring up her head enough to kiss him softly on the mouth. She gazed into his eyes, which were filled with as much love as hers were and responded with one word that meant so much, "Always."

**A/N: Well that's all folks. I don't usually write in third person but I thought I would give it a go. I also don't write much fluff so I hope this isn't overdone and cheesy. I know this storyline has been so overdone already but I don't care it just kind of speaks to me.**

**Until next time my lovely readers,**

**~Rose**


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